Dick Smith caught out

The retailer has since admitted that it sells second hand hard drives as new, but in this instance forgot to wipe it clean.Daryll Mason

by Asher Moses

SYDNEYSIDER Darryl Mason bought a "new" portable hard drive from Dick Smith only to find that it was filled with pirated movies and potentially contained malware that has ruined crucial footage for his documentary.

The retailer has since admitted that it sells second hand hard drives as new, but in this instance forgot to wipe it clean.

The Minister for Fair Trading, Anthony Roberts, said he was "very concerned" with Dick Smith's actions and that the retailer may be liable for compensation under Australian consumer laws.

Mason bought the $129 Seagate 1.5 terabyte (TB) drive from the Dick Smith Marrickville store to back up footage for a documentary he is making about the hard rock band The Angels.

He has been shooting their recording sessions and gigs over the last six month since the band replaced its lead singer with Dave Gleeson, formerly of the Screaming Jets. He hopes to get the film out to coincide with the band's new album in January.